Paper tongs.



G. J. BOHLMAN.

PAPER TONGS. APPLI CATION FILED FEB-5,1917- Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J'. BOHLMAN, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN WATER SUPPLY C0. OF NEW ENGLAND, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PAPER TON GS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 5, 1917. Serial No. 146,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be .it known that I, GEORGE J. BOHLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Pa er Tongs, of which the following is a speci cation.

My present invention relates to new and useful improvements in tongs of the type which are ordinarily employed in handling eatables, and particularly confections, and for the latter purpose are usually placed in the box containing the confections, sometimes in flat form, to be bent U-shape preparatory to using them, and other times in U-shape form, ready for use.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a pair of tongs of the above-stated character which are formed from paper or some equivalent, flexible, but non-metallic material, and are constructed in such manner that, while they may be cheaply manufactured, they will be durable and serviceable in use, and capable of resisting considerable pressure, so that the object to be lifted may be firmly grasped.

In carrying out my invent-ion, I preferably form the tongs of two adhesively united plies of relatively heavy paper. This blank is cut to any desired contour, and is or may be molded. The blank fashioned from these plies is adapted to be bent intermediate its length to produce a substantially U-shaped body-portion, the terminals of the arms of which are adapted to serve as gripping-elements, which terminals may or may not be enlarged or concaved, or otherwise sha ed to especially adapt them for use in handling eatables of different characters. In order to stiffen the tongs thus composed of paper so that its arms will possess the desired rigidity,

and also resiliency, and will be normally maintained in the desired spaced relation when bent into U-form, I arrangebetwecn or associate with the plies a spring element, ,referably composed of metal, which is flexi 1e and resilient, thus adapting it to be bent together with the blank to form a permanent U-shaped article with resilient arms. In

some instances, the blank will consist of a substantially fiat double-tong element with springselement associated therewith or interposed between the plies thereof, which springelement extends throughout the length of the double-tong member, including its gripping-members, so that while the bight portion of the device will be resilient to permit movement of the gripping-members toward each other, these members and the arms of the body-portion will be relatively stiff. Furthermore, the ends of the metallic spring-element may be exposed at the ends of the gripping-members, and such exposed 'ends may be slightly offset in an inward direction so as to assist the grippingmembers in gripping an object.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of tongs, the spring-element being represented partially in full lines and partially in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an edge view and partial longitudinal vertical section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tongs bent into U-form.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail.

As shown in the drawings, the tongs, when prepared for use, comprise a substantially U-shaped body-portion 6, and a pair of gripping-members 7 and 8 which are formed upon the terminals of the arms 10 and 11 of the body-portion, and as an integral part thereof. In making the bodyportion and gripping-members, I employ a blank which is preferably formed from'two plies or laminations 12, 13 of relatively eavy paper united by means of adhesive material which is cut and molded to suitably fashion it for the purposes desired. At this oint it is desired to be explained that, whi e paper is preferably employed, any other equivalent The gripping-members 7 and 8 are pref-- erably enlarged as regards their proportion in width, to the terminal portions of the arms 10 and 11, although, as will be obvious, changes in the size and shape of the gripping-members are not material, and may be made when desired without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is preferable, however, that the grippingmem-- hers be concave, so'that a more or less spherical object may be conveniently held between them. Thus a double-tong element is produced which is substantially flat.

As previously explained, I provide a metallic spring-member 14, which member is preferably formed from a suitable length of a fiat steel strip, see Fig. 1, or relatively light gage hard-drawn wire may be substituted therefor, see Fig. 4, it only being necessary that it shall be light and thin and possess flexibility and resiliency. This flexible-resilient stifl'ening member is inserted between the plies and extended throughout the length of the same, including the gripping-members. The double-tong element thus produced having the spring-element as described, is adapted to be bent intermediate its length into a permanent U-form, thereby to produce a pair of tongs having resilient arms which are movable toward each other for engagement with an object. Such bending may be done before or after the device is placed in the box of confections. It will now be noted that, while the arms of the body-portion may be relatively moved to move the gripping-members toward each other, and into gripping engagement with the object to be held, the springelement nevertheless imparts considerable rigidity to the arms,'and particularly to the gripping-members. In this latter connection, it is pointed out that the terminal portions of the member 14 are or may be curved, and are, therefore, more rigid than they otherwise would be. Thus the spring-element 14 is adapted to perform distinct functions. On account of its flexibility, it permits the device to be bent intermediate its length into permanent U-form, and on account of its resiliency, serves to normally spread the arms 10 and 11, and to maintain them in spaced relation, and to return them to such spread or spaced relation. after they have been drawn toward each other during the gripping of an object. It also serves to stiffen the arms 10 and 11 so that considerable pressure may be exerted upon them in the act of gripping an article with the tongs without longitudinal flexing of the same.

I claim 1. A new article of manufacture consisting of a substantially flat ,double-tong member composed of two plies of paper adhesively secured together with an interposed spring-element extended throughout length, said spring-element being composed of flexible resilient material adapting the article to be permanently bent intermediate its length to form a pair of tongs with resilient arms.

2. A new article of manufacture consisting of a substantially flat double-tong element composed of paper, out and molded, and having a spring-element associated with it, which, together with the double-tong element, is adapted to be bent intermediate its length to form a pair of tongs with resilient arms.

3. A new article of manufacture consisting of a double tong element composed of paper and having a spring element associated with it, which together with the double tong element, is adapted to be bent intermediate its length to form a pair of tongs with resilient arms.

4. A new article of manufacture consisting of a substantially flat double-tong element composed of paper, out and molded, and having a spring-element associated with it, which, together with the double-tong element, is adapted to be bent intermediate its length to form a pair of tongs with resilient arms, the spring-element being extended throughout the length of the double-tong element and its ends exposed and oflset for the engagement with the object. I

5. As a new article of manufacture, a pair of tongs formed from flexible non-metallic material and including a substantially U- shaped body-portion, gripping-members formed upon the terminals of the arms thereof, and a substantially U-shaped flexible resilient metallic member conforming to the bight portion of the body-portion for normally spreading the gripping-members and maintaining them in spaced relation to each other, but being yieldable to permit movement of the gripping-members toward each other.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a pair of tongs formed from two plies of flexible non-metallic material, which are permanently united and including a substantially U-shaped resilient metallic reinforcing and stiflenin member disposed between the lies and con orming to the bight portion 0 the l;odyp0rtion, the arm portions of said U- shaped metallic member being extended its 1,aoo,a a

longitudinally of said arm members of th name to this specification, in the presence body-portion, said metallic member serving of two subscribing witnesses. to normally maintain the gripping-members in spaced relation, but being yieldable to GEORGE BOHLMAN' 5 permit movement of the gripping-members Witnesses:

toward each other to grip anobject. AMos L. TAYLOR,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my ELIZABETH M. HANSQN. 

